Managing Back Labor

You’ve heard of contractions during labor and delivery, but what about back labor? What exactly is back labor, what does it feel like and what causes it to happen? Plus, we’ve got tips on how to prevent it and methods to naturally manage it.

Episode Transcript

Please be advised, this transcription was performed from a company independent of New Mommy Media, LLC. As such, translation was required which may alter the accuracy of the transcription.

SUNNY GAULT: Hey Preggie Pals! Have you listened to Newbies yet? It’s our new podcast for postpartum moms through baby’s first year. Each year you’ll hear great episodes featuring experts and real moms as they explore the challenges of carrying for themselves and their new baby.

Subscribe on iTunes and listen on-the-go through our free apps. Babies don’t come with instruction manuals. That’s why there’s Newbies for new moms and new babies.

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ABBY LACEY: Have you heard the term back labor? But what does that mean? How is it different from other labor sensations and why does it happen? I am Abby Lacey, Certified Doula and Massage Therapist. Today, we are learning: “All about back labor and natural ways to cope with it. This is Preggie Pals.

[Intro/Theme Music]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Welcome to Preggie Pals, broadcasting from the Birth Education Center in San Diego. Preggie Pals is your online, on-the-go support group for expecting parents and those hoping to become pregnant. I’m your host Stephanie Glover. Thanks to all the loyal listeners who’ve joined the Preggie Pals Club.

Our members get special episodes, bonus content after each new show plus special giveaways and discounts. Please see our website for more information. Another way for you to stay connected is by downloading our free Preggie Pals App available in the Android, iTunes and Windows’ Marketplaces.

You can also download our new network app so that you can access all of your favorite New Mommy Media Shows on the go. Here’s Sunny with more information about how you can get involve with Preggie Pals.

SUNNY GAULT: Yes, we love hearing from our listeners. There’s several ways you guys can participate in the show. First of all, if you just love Preggie Pals and you just want to tell us how much you love us. You can do that. You can send us an e-mail. No kidding aside.

Any comment you have about Preggie Pals, you can suggest story ideas. You can tell us how much you love us. You can comment on pretty much anything we’ve said on the show. We would love to read those comments on the air. All you have to do is contact us through the contact link on our website. So that’s an e-mail.

You can also reach us via our voice mail and that number is 619-866-4775. We have a segment that’s called: “Ask the Experts.” So if you are currently in your pregnancy and you have some pregnancy related topics, questions that you would like to ask our experts, you can do that. Submit the same way.

We have a segment called: “Pregnancy Oops” which is really fun where you guys can share your funny pregnancy stories and we’ll share those on the show as well. If you want to have a little behind-the-scenes, look at what we do here at Preggie Pals. I am taking photos of us as we record. I post those on our Instagram.

We also do something called: “First Five” which is where with video actually record the first five minutes of the interview with our expert. It’s also a great way to kind of get an idea. With audio, it sometimes kind of hard to kind of really relate to really what’s happening here on the studio; so that’s a really great way to get connected and become part of Preggie Pals.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Great! Thank you so much. We’re going to go ahead and introduce our panelists. I’ll get started like I’ve said, my name is Stephanie Glover. I’m the host of Preggie Pals and I’m also a trained child birth educator working on my certification to be able to teach those classes in hospitals.

I’m a mom of two little girls. My four year old Gretchen was born via C Section and my daughter Lydia was my VBAC baby. How about you Sunny?

SUNNY GAULT: I’ve got four kids of my own. My oldest is five. He just started kindergarten a boy. Then I have a three year old son as well and he’s in preschool. Then I have identical twin girls who are 22 months old. They’re just at home with mama, playing out with mama, getting into trouble.

I just took a picture yesterday on Facebook. They totally like trash. They’re getting in to everything and throwing every toy. Every toy has to be out of the receptacle it’s supposed to be in and on my floor. So that’s a lot of fun. That keeps them busy.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: You can’t get too mad at them though. They’re pretty cute.

SUNNY GAULT: No. They’re pretty cute. Yes.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: We have a panelist phoning in from Texas, Natalie go ahead and introduce yourself.

NATALIE TAYLOR: Okay, I’m Natalie Taylor. Unfortunately, I am currently in the hospital expecting quadruplets – three boys and a girl. I have four year old fraternal twins at home. Then I have identical twin girls who just turned two. Then I have identical twin boys who turned one. Then I have who used to be our baby but no longer will be. She is nine months old and she was born in December just recently.

SUNNY GAULT: Natalie has a Go Fund Me Account, want to help to pay for any child care? Holy Moses!

NATALIE TAYLOR: Any baby items are very much accepted.

SUNNY GAULT: Seriously. How are you feeling right now because we’re talking with you earlier and you’re actually is it fair to say she’s in labor? Are you in labor?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: It sounds like it.

NATALIE TAYLOR: I am. I am having contractions about 25 seconds apart and lasting four to five minutes each. So I’m not quite in labor as far as dilation as phase may goes. But girls are getting pretty close.

SUNNY GAULT: My goodness.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: I think it’s a first for us Sunny.

SUNNY GAULT: Yes.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Having a panelist in labor on the show.

SUNNY GAULT: I give you a lot of props Natalie. But you’ve been down this road a little bit before at least with the other babies. So this is not your first for you.

NATALIE TAYLOR: No maybe once or twice.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: You know a little fun distraction is great in labor right?

SUNNY GAULT: Right before you go home to 11 kids. My goodness!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Thank you so much for joining us.

NATALIE TAYLOR: My pleasure!

[Theme Music]

SUNNY GAULT: Okay. So we are going to talk about a news headline that a lot of people are commenting on right now on Facebook. So I thought it was worth mentioning and this is with Yahoo’s current CEO. Her name is Marissa Mayer. She has announced first of all that she is pregnant. I’ll give you a little bit back story here. She was actually hired at Yahoo when she was pregnant. So it kind of made news then. This is three years ago.

Okay so with her first baby, Yahoo hired her on as CEO when she was pregnant which I actually think is pretty cool of Yahoo to do. So she made some headlines a few years ago with this. Now she’s pregnant again and she found out that she’s pregnant with twins. The big catch here is that she had made an announcement that: “She’s only going to take a two-week maternity leave with her twins.” This has ignited a fire storm on Facebook.

Because once side of the equation is: “Hey! We already have all these unrealistic expectations of what we’re supposed to look like when we come out of a hospital or whether we birth our babies, we’re supposed to be bouncing back and back to “normal.” So we’ve got that side of things.” Now we’re not even suppose to take an extended maternity leave or just regular – it doesn’t have to be extended. Just what is the common maternity leave?

ABBY LACEY: Six weeks for vaginal, eight for post C Section.

SUNNY GAULT: Okay and she obviously doesn’t know what she’s going to have yet. But still to kind of you know you’re cutting more than half.

ABBY LACEY: You’re lucky.

SUNNY GAULT: Two weeks is like nothing right? She already has a child at home. But other people are saying: “Listen! She probably can do this because she’s a CEO. Obviously, you make a good salary of CEO of Yahoo right? So she can afford to have other people maybe do more care for the twins than somebody who is doing everything on their own.” So anyways, people are going back-and-forth on it.

I want to throw this out to you guys and say: “What do you think about her announcing this two-week thing? Is it a bad thing? Is it saying – Hey! You know what woman? We can do anything we want to do.” I mean that’s the other side to this right?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yes and I can see both sides. I guess first of all I mean she’s putting herself out there to be judged. We know about Mommy Wars. So I know all of us are already have some opinions on it. So I guess first thing I would want to address is just good for her if that works for them.

SUNNY GAULT: Yes.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: That being said, I do think there are a lot of unrealistic expectations for new moms. Personally, I mean after two weeks I’ve had both kinds of – I have a C section and I have a vaginal delivery. I needed two weeks or both just to feel normal and connected with my baby.

I know that was just me but I sort of love the laying in bed and being served with cheese and fruit plate and just nursing and staring at my baby for a few weeks. I like it. The thought of going back to work into an office – maybe she’ll have telecommunicating role maybe. I’m not sure if she’ll actually be returning to the office with her heels and power suits or she gets to be on her sweats at home. I don’t know.

But yes. I don’t think it would be for me. I do think that it’s an unrealistic goal for most moms.

ABBY LACEY: Well then, let’s face it. With twins statistically speaking, she’s had an increase likelihood of having a C Section.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

ABBY LACEY: So now you’re recovering from major abdominal surgery and you’d expect to do that in two weeks. That’s asking a lot. It really is. But she also says: “She’s going back to work.” She doesn’t say: “She’s coming back one day a week.” If she’s coming back three hours a day, she didn’t say exactly how she’s coming back to work. So stuff like you said, she can be telecommuting.

I have to agree. I personally can’t fathom going back that quickly. But if you’ve got the funds to hire the staff to support you and do your cooking and your cleaning and the night feeds and all of that good stuff then: “Hey more power to you sister!”

SUNNY GAULT: How do you bond with your baby in two weeks so? Do you know what I’m saying? Everything is just such a blur. That’s my biggest concern for her. If she feels that she can do that or whatever system that she sets up is accommodating to that – more power to her.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: We touched on before we started recording the establishing of breastfeeding you know is not going to be something that she’s working towards if she’s bypassing altogether. We don’t know.

SUNNY GAULT: Right.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: But that has taken a lot of work and you need the connection and the bonding in the beginning to make it really work for you.

SUNNY GAULT: Natalie, I’m assuming you’re taking more than two weeks off after having quads?

NATALIE TAYLOR: I can touch on this on the sense of I think I’ve had a couple of pairs of multiples right? What she thinks that she can have twins and come back in two weeks and bond. Come back two weeks bouncing strong looking like she never had babies in the first place. I mean all the props to her. Personally, with my set of twins, my first two said – I was working and I took three to four months off just personal choice.

SUNNY GAULT: Yes. My concern with all of this though is that I just so went to other businesses to look at this through their CEOs and whatever and just say: “This is the new norm.” Do you know what I mean? I mean we’re working backward. Right now, we’re talking a lot about extending maternity leave, paternity leave and that kind of stuff.

I’m just nervous this flies in the face of that to say: “Hey. You don’t need that. If someone can run a huge company then you don’t need it for your job.” Well, whatever Marissa decides to do, we wish her the best in a healthy pregnancy, labor and delivery.

[Theme Music]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Today, we’re learning all about Back Labor. Joining us here in the studio is Abby Lacey. Abby is a Certified Doula and a massage therapist. She works with expecting parents to understand the physiology of labor and also practices prenatal massage.

In labor, she helps mom cope with labor discomfort through various comfort measures and techniques. Welcome to Preggie Pals Abby. Thank you so much for joining us.

ABBY LACEY: Thanks for having me.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So we’ve all heard the term back labor. But what exactly does that mean?

ABBY LACEY: For most women, it’s just a manifestation of significant discomfort in their back as opposed to in their belly. It’s not something that we can ever predict that someone is going to have. It may happen for a brief time during labor and then go away and then come back.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So not every woman is going to experience it in sort of it can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy cramps.

ABBY LACEY: Absolutely. Just because you have back labor with the previous birth, it doesn’t mean that you are going to have them with subsequent birth at all.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay. Now I haven’t had back labors so I can’t speak to it. But Natalie, you mentioned that you have some experience with back labor. Can you describe, try to describe the labor in general? It’s so hard to describe what it feels like. But can you maybe describe your back labor for us?

NATALIE TAYLOR: Well other words can’t come to me. In anything, it just basically feels like someone’s taking their thumb and just hitting you right in between that point of where your tailbone in the lower part of your spine meet just kind of twisting it back and forth.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Awesome!

NATALIE TAYLOR: Is that a good description?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Awesome! That sounds so fun. Now when you have back labor, did you also feel tightness in the front like more of an uteran discomfort as well? Did you primarily feel it at the back?

NATALIE TAYLOR: Well, it kind of varies. It will go and it will start off in the back obviously. Then I would say like my lower uterus just tightens up like a rock. I would just kind of sing me out of my belly and it would just like get rock hard. It would get from a back labor into a contraction almost.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

NATALIE TAYLOR: It would feel like a [inaudible 00:13:37] and makes the contractions from both sides.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yes, it doesn’t sound fun. Now Abby, what causes back labor?

ABBY LACEY: The number one cause of back labor is actually position of your baby. Your doctor is going to use terms like OP which is Occiput Posterior. That means the back of your baby’s head is dragging the back of your tailbone. Typically, you want your baby nose to your tailbone which is called OA or Occiput Anterior.

Then there are variations of both of those where your baby maybe facing one side of your hip which is right or left Occiput Anterior or Posterior depending how turned your baby really is. But it’s really the back of their cute little noggins dragging around your tailbone. It’s going to cause most of that back pain.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay. So another term for OP would be Sunny Side Up.

ABBY LACEY: That is correct.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Are there any causes. So say that the baby’s in the OA Position – Can a woman still experience back labor?

ABBY LACEY: She can. It depends on her position as well during labor. Different women find that different things will bring it on. Everyone’s comfort levels are so different. Typically, if you are laying on your back, that’s the most restrictive and will cause the most posture on your back.

So being stuck in the bed or in a reclining position of any kind where there is additional pressure behind you is going to also precipitate some of that discomfort for some woman.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: I got you. So you really have to while you’re in labor sort of take cues from your body to notice if you are feeling more discomfort in a position and switching it up.

ABBY LACEY: Absolutely. That can change from moment-to-moment believe it or not. A lot of people believe that babies stay in one single position throughout the birth process. But it’s actually a little bit of a dance. Your baby goes through what are called the cardinal movements and will move around through a series of positions in order to get out through your pelvis.

They’re not going to just go nose to your tailbone and stay that way. They actually twist and turn a little bit. So a baby that’s even optimally positioned may twist into a position at some point that maybe their shoulder is up against your tailbone. That’s creating the extra pressure in giving you back labor.

In the case that you have multiples, maybe you have one baby and one is pushing the other one into your tailbone or that kind of thing.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Natalie did you have any insight in those labors that you are experienced VBAC labor, did you have any insight as to position or presentation of your babies? Were they OP or sunny side up you know?

NATALIE TAYLOR: One of my babies currently in this pregnancy is OP. So that is good to know that the dragon – this one is what is causing me so much pain. But In previous pregnancies with the twins, I have some where they’re sunny side up. I’ve had some where they’re transverse. The feelings or the pains so to speak vary depending on the baby’s position. So my experience is have been where some pregnancies, I couldn’t even walk because of the baby’s position cause so much pain. That it was like it’s the nurse or my husband asks me to move, I’d be like: “Are you talking to me?”

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So what’s interesting too is I am a mom who had two babies in the OP Position and I have not experienced back labor. So I’ve realized I might be one of the “lucky ones” though the OP Position kind of had its own challenges there. But Abby, can back labor cause any complications for mom and baby?

ABBY LACEY: Back labor in of itself know

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

ABBY LACEY: It’s more related to the position of the baby. So we’ve talked about baby being sunny side up in the back of that head dragging along your tailbone. When you’re in pain, your instinct is going to be to tighten up, tense up and try and get away from the pain. So tensing up during labor if you could imagine doesn’t allow your baby to move down through your pelvis.

So if you’re tensing up all of those muscles in response to the discomfort, often times that will mean that your labor is just going to take longer; also babies head dragging along your tailbone. There is some resistance there right? So that’s going to mean that things are going to take longer.

So babies who are sunny side up and who are causing back labor will tend to mean that you just going to have to work a little bit harder.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right

ABBY LACEY: Be a little bit more patient.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Keep dancing with that baby.

ABBY LACEY: Keep dancing with that baby. Yes, get on [inaudible 00:19:11]. Sit down. Do some moving and shifting of your hips and see if you can get your baby to swing around into a better position for you before they’re fully engaged with your pelvis.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: That was really going to lead me to my next question because you’re talking about the fetal position. Being such a contributor to back labor; while a woman is still pregnant – so say she’s not even in labor yet, what are some things you can do to encourage that good positioning so that she hopefully can reduce her chances of back labor?

ABBY LACEY: There are so many great things that a woman can do to help encourage optimal positioning of the baby. First and foremost, the easiest is: “Stop sitting in a recliner.” I know those recliners are so comfortable. You get to kick your feet up but when you rock your pelvis back – think of your pelvis like a bowl.

If you rock your pelvis back into a reclined position, you’re encouraging that baby to just chill out right there in that bowl where it’s nice and comfy. So that baby is going to be seated pretty comfortably into your pelvis and not so much interested in moving around because hey! It’s comfy in here. So sitting upright or slightly forward leaning if you can. I know a lot of women get a lot of discomfort with the weight of their belly if they have a really forward pregnancy.

So I do advocate for making sure that you are supporting your belly adequately. But just sit up if you can otherwise, swimming. When you swim, your baby has even less resistance from gravity. So your body’s lighter, their body’s lighter and baby’s often times will be super active when you swim.

So I’ve seen some interesting things with mamas trying to get babies to move, getting into pools. If you ever cover breach positioning, it’s not uncommon trying to get babies to turn for women who get in pools and do hand stand all kinds of some crazy things.

But yes, Spinning Babies is always is a fantastic resource for getting your baby not just to move from breach position but also into the optimal positioning with Occiput Interior. So that’s www.SpinningBabies.com

STEPHANIE GLOVER: We’ll post that on our website as well.

ABBY LACEY: That website was created by Gail Tully who is phenomenally knowledgeable about babies and positioning. I will say this: “Babies are super active.” Just because at 36 weeks your baby is sunny side up doesn’t mean that they will be at the time of labor. So I strongly advocate for families that hire doulas.

If you are experiencing erratic labor patterns or you are experiencing back pain, talk to your Doula. Get on the floors. Go get in the bath tub. Gosh! You can do things like get out the Rebozo and do some Rebozo shifting.

Rebozo for those of you who don’t know is a woven kind of like almost large baby blanket size piece of fabric that birth workers use to help us in any number of different ways with resistance or just to help us lift you. Lift your belly, wrap around your hips. It provides some counter pressure. You don’t have to have a specific piece of equipment. You don’t need a Rebozo. You can just get a bed sheet.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

ABBY LACEY: So a blanket – any piece of fabric that you are comfortable with that can support your weight. Do some hip shifting with the Rebozo either while you’re standing or while you’re on the floors.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Now are Rebozo typically used when you’re in active labor or is it something that you can do like late pregnancy to help?

ABBY LACEY: You can absolutely do both actually – in late pregnancy or early labor. Sometimes even later in labor will get them out and just to get some relaxation in the hips. Do a little bit of a hip shifting with the Rebozo.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So when we come back, we’re going to discuss more methods of coping with back labor discomforts. We’ll be right back.

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Did you know that you can listen to episodes of Preggie Pals anytime anywhere? Just download the apps available on iTunes and the Amazon App Store. My mommy loves to listen on her iPhone while she’s waiting for her doctor appointments. My mommy knows exactly what to expect thanks to Preggie Pals. She’s a member of their special club so she can listen to all the episodes; get extra bonus content, discounts and more. Take my mommy’s advice and visit www.NewMommyMedia.com today. [Theme Music]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Welcome back. Today we’re discussing: “Back labor.” Certified Doula and Massage Therapist Abby Lacey is our expert. So Abby, we’ve talked about some ways to use Rebozo and positioning to help comfort the discomforts of back labor. But what are some other ways that a doula or partner can help ease some of that discomfort?

ABBY LACEY: I’m a big fan of bath tub in labor. If you can get into a bath tub and get comfortable, it can take a lot of the pressure and a lot of the strain off. I’s just kind of if you create a nice environment, put some candles on, some music and just chill out.

The only trick about baths is to make sure that they are in the correct temperature. You don’t want them so hot that your skin is turning pink and you’re sweaty. If you are pink and sweaty, your baby is getting too warmed. So typically, you want to keep the bath anywhere from maybe at the start 100 or 101 degrees. Then down to about 98; sometimes 96 degrees.

Midwives can be a lot more particular if you’re birthing in the water. If you’re just trying to relax, you don’t need to get out of the thermometer just kind of be aware of the fact that you don’t really want to get hot and sweaty.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay and probably stay hydrated too while you’re in the tub can help.

ABBY LACEY: Absolutely! Have some coconut water, something full of electrolytes even just some plain water is a good thing. Maybe have a light snack while you’re there. If things are a little bit less intense and you’re able to relax, hopefully you’re not vomiting at this point.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

ABBY LACEY: But yes, take that as an opportunity to kind of refresh. Other things that you can do, some great hip counter pressure is good. There is some controversy about counter pressure whether it’s good or bad. You know my ultimate answer is: “What makes it feel better?”

When you’re having back labor, pretty much that’s all you can think about. So if it helps you feel better, my answer really is: “Go for it.” The last thing that some of my clients have done, if you are fan of the essential oils, you can use essential oils pretty safely during labor especially if it’s in the back of your body.

You want to be careful and probably not use anything on the front of your body – arms or hands that will come and contact with the baby that’s not indicated for infants. But with back labor, you can make up your own blend with the mint oils or black pepper. Definitely look it up for yourself and see if you’re allergic to any of the components.

But you can make up your own little salve there to rub on your back to make things feel a little bit better.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Awesome! For those who maybe tried coping naturally with the discomfort and they opt for maybe a little bit more medical pain management, what is helpful in terms of medications? Would an epidural help with back labor?

ABBY LACEY: Absolutely! Well, an epidural will help with a lot of different things but absolutely back labor. Woman who are really struggling with back labor and whose babies won’t change position especially if you have reached that point of distress, go for it. If that’s what you need in order to relax and push your baby out then do what you need to do.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Getting from the point of pain to suffering from the time to re-evaluate that.

ABBY LACEY: Right! I actually will tell my families there’s a difference between strength and suffering. It’s a fine line to flirt with sometimes especially in labor when a partner can’t really tell if you’re in distress or not. So going with the guidance of your birth team is really going to help you there.

If you’re having back labor but you are not anticipating using pain medication, they can help you evaluate if that time has come. I’ve been that person who looks at my client and says: “I know this is not what you wanted but it might help a little.”

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Now Natalie, what did you find helpful with your back labor?

NATALIE TAYLOR: My best friend has been [inaudible 00:28:37] like my time here in the hospital and at times at home before I progress far enough, I would let my experience with essential oils has been amazing. It’s a really good balming experience as well as a chance for my husband to feel our baby’s movements. I mean we’ve definitely use the bathing technique ways for coping.

As far as hospital goes and especially in my current situation, I found that a squatting bar helped me out a lot. Shifting positions back-and-forth from sitting through right and left side line – as well as sitting on a birth ball has also given me comfort as well. Not really bouncing on it just sitting on it.

ABBY LACEY: Right! Just taking away some of the pressure.

NATALIE TAYLOR: Exactly.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Have you found kind of doing a little bit of Hula Dance while you’re sitting on the birth ball can help as well? Getting the tips shifting and hopefully getting those babies moving?

NATALIE TAYLOR: In that sense, no. I’m not so much on the birthing ball. But I believe it’s called: “The Standing Cradle Position” which is where you just kind of lean on your partner and just rock back and forth.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: The slow dancing.

NATALIE TAYLOR: Yes, slow dance pretty much. That’s been the most comforting thing for me as well. Again, it creates kind of like a bonding moment for both you and partner.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Well, awesome! So Abby thank you so much for joining us today. For more information about Abby as well as any additional information about our panelists, you can visit our website. This conversation continues for members of our Preggie Pals Club.

After the show, Abby is going to discuss: “How to tell if you’re having regular back pain or actual back labor.” To join our club, visit our website www.NewMommyMedia.com

[Theme Music]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Hi Preggie Pals! We have a question for one of our experts.

Anna [inaudible 00:30:50], California writes:

“I had to birth with forceps and my doula said that it would be a good idea to get my baby adjusted. I’m afraid of a chiropractor cracking my baby’s spine and neck. That it would be too violent for her. Which should I look for in a pediatric chiropractor?”

-Anna

TYSON PEREZ: Hey Anna! This is Dr. Tyson Perez, Pediatric and Family Chiropractor at Elevation Family Chiropractic in Carlsbad. You have mentioned that your doula suggested that your newborn is adjusted because you have a forceps’ delivery – that you are afraid of any kind of chiropractor doing any kind of cracking on their spine.

So just to let you know, “A pediatric chiropractic care is extremely safe and very gentle.” You want to make sure that you see a chiropractor that has experience with children. One of the best ways to find out if that chiropractor has experience with children is to go to the www.ICPAforKids.org website.

The chiropractors listed on that website are certified in treating both prenatal and pediatric patients. So again that’s www.ICPAforKids.org and type in your zip code and you’ll find the chiropractor near you. I hope that helps. Take care. Bye.

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STEPHANIE GLOVER: That wraps up our show for today. We appreciate you listening to Preggie Pals. Don’t forget to check out our sister shows: • Newbies for postpartum moms during baby’s first year • Parent Savers for parents with infants and toddlers • Twin Talks, for parents of multiples • The Boob Group for moms who breastfeed their kiddos.

This is Preggie Pals: “Your pregnancy, your way.” [Disclaimer] This has been a New Mommy Media production. Information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of New Mommy Media and should not be considered facts. Though information in which areas are related to be accurate, it is not intended to replace or substitute for professional, Medical or advisor care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating health care problem or disease or prescribing any medications. If you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified health care provider. SUNNY GAULT: New Mommy Media is expanding our line up of shows for new and expecting parents. If you have an idea for a new series or if you’re a business or an organization interested in joining our network of shows through a co-branded podcast, visit www.NewMommyMedia.com.